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"They said they'd make it whole," Fitzgerald said about what the town promised him after a split-rail fence and gardens in front of the store were destroyed when pipes were laid for the project.

The gardens included a variety of special grasses, such as sedge; flowers like lilies of the valley, rose of Sharon and jasmine; and boxwood bushes, he said. "Dawn Ellen had a beautiful garden out there."

First Selectman Bob Burke
said the town plans to help Fitzgerald. "Anything that can be done legally to assist him will be done."

The town has photos of what the outdoor garden looked liked before the culvert project, Burke said, and will restore it. "We'll address it in the spring."

Fitzgerald is also concerned about having less parking space as a result of the project, which included realignment of the tricky intersection at Nashville Road and Chestnut Street to make the area safer for driving.

Flower Bowl customers had always parked in front of the shop. Now a sign forbids parking on that side of Nashville Road. There are seven clearly marked parking spots, however, across the street.

"By moving parking across the street, we increased the number of legal spaces," said
Andrew Morosky
, town engineer and public works director.

Fitzgerald said those spots are often taken, especially in the late afternoon, by nearby residents or patrons of other stores. He would like to put parking in the rear lot of the flower shop and hopes the town will help him financially.

Burke said Bethel will help Fitzgerald get a parking lot any legal way it can, but the town cannot use public money for the lot.

With parking across the street, Fitzgerald said a pedestrian crosswalk to the flower shop is needed for safety. "When crossing, someone could get killed."

Morosky, however, said pedestrian crosswalks sometimes increase accidents if they are in the wrong spot. Any decision about crosswalks needs to be made by police.

"The town appreciates the residents' level of patience," Morosky said about the $1.8 million culvert and road work, which also realigned the underground Waterhorse Brook. "It was a complicated project."